Steven Carrington, Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development

UBUNTU: The Way Forward in Supporting Mental Health in the African Nova Scotian Community

Participants will walk away with a greater understanding of the diverse communities we live in and move towards being aware of the communities they serve. This session will model for participants what an Africentric Approach looks like in practice and hopefully also elevate their consciousness about matters of race. Conversations about race need not to be feared but actually acknowledged.

Diverse communities have diverse needs and this will provide participants with a place to explore their current policies, practices, and behaviors which may impact on the hopes of people.

Mental health in the African Nova Scotia community presents itself in ways that differ from the wider community and this will give participants the opportunity to explore the reality that differences matter and are okay.

ABOUT Steven carrington

Steven Carrington, M.Ed, B.Ed is the Student Services Consultant, African Canadian Services Division at the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. Throughout his career, his work has focused on parenting programs in the African Nova Scotia Community which includes supporting African NS Learners in the program planning process; cultural proficiency with school boards to improve the climate in schools; courageous conversations about race; culturally responsive mental health literacy in the African Nova Scotian communities; professional development for student support workers and native student advisors; levelled reading facilitator; researching models and strategies to improve the educational experiences of African Nova Scotian learners; teaming with community organizations to run a Summerslide program for grades 5 & 6; collaboration with the Black Educators Association on a technology infusion program for their Cultural Achievement programs; collaboration with school boards in reviewing the Individual Program Plans of every African Nova Scotian student.

Steve is a father and step-father of six and a grandfather of nine, with another on the way. The person he admires most is a single mother who raised four children on her own, owned her own home, all on a salary of less than $10,000 – his wife, Rayvonne.